IS SWINE FLU MASKING OUR REAL ILLNESSES?

Regular readers of my blog will know that from time to time I dip in to the blog ‘Voto en Blanco’ for inspiration. This week my esteemed colleague, Francisco Rubiales, under the title “Señora ministra de Sanidad, escúcheme usted” has reproduced an open letter from the Spanish daily newspaper “El Mundo” addressed to the country’s Minister for health. It was penned by Monica Lalanda, a medical specialist in emergencies.

Amongst the topics that Dr Lalanda picks up on is her thanks to the minister for selecting medical staff such as her for inoculation against Swine Flu because they are essential workers. She states: “suddenly I am valued as a national asset” then adds “but come and see my contract or those of the rest of doctors in this country. The vast majority work with contracts that would be a shame in the rest of the old Europe.”

Dr Lalanda also begs the question – why are Tamiflu stocks being kept under custody by the Spanish army? Many medics worldwide say that “the effectiveness of the antiviral against this flu is dubious” and only reduces the duration of symptoms and side effects for a short while. The doctor says that Tamiflu should be freely available in pharmacies as too should other rival products which are currently not freely available so “there are no panics from restrictions.”

However it is the doctor’s last paragraph that interests me most. It is not unknown for governments, specially the monarchs of the days of old, to start a war to divert the populace’s attention from the dire situation at home. Indeed in recent times “security threats” have been used as an excuse to reduce or take away our basic freedoms in the name of the “national good” or our presumed need of “protection”.

Dr Lalanda sees the Swine Flu campaign as a “smoke screen” now that the economic crisis continues in Spain with unemployment at historical high levels with taxes rises to combat the low GDP.

I agree. This winter normal flu will take more lives than Swine Flu but that statistic will not be mentioned. Instead governments around the world will tackle the quasi-threat of Swine Flu in the hope it diverts our attention from the real problems that blight our lives - problems they are failing to cope with.

SWINE FLU: PANDEMIC OR PANIC-DEMIC

The other day I received an email from a reader that purported to come from a doctor in Peru. May be it does – may be it doesn’t – however what it does do is raise some interesting questions over the Swine Flu Panic-demic.

The text is in Spanish and I have edited it for brevity but the email asks:

“What interests? What economic move is behind swine flu?

In the world, two million people die each year victims of malaria, which can be prevented by a mosquito net.

And the news says nothing of this.

In the world, two million children die every year from diarrhoea, and these boys and girls could be cured with an oral serum costing 25 cents.

And the news says nothing of this.

Measles, pneumonia and other diseases that can be cured with cheap vaccines cause the death of ten million people worldwide each year.

And the news reports nothing.

But then the famous bird flu appeared.

The global media was flooded; tons of ink was used spreading the news and alarm...

Not just an epidemic but the most dangerous of all... a pandemic.

And yet the avian influenza only caused the death of 250 people around the world - 250 killed during 10 years, which gives an average of 25 victims per year.

The common flu kills half a million people each year worldwide.

Half a million against 25.

The pharmaceutical transnational Roche with its famous Tamiflu sold a million doses to the Asian countries.

Although the Tamiflu is of dubious effectiveness, the British Government bought 14 million doses to protect to its population.

With chicken flu, Roche and Relenza, two large pharmaceutical companies sold these anti-virals, making billions of dollars in earnings.

As with the chickens and now with the pigs.

Yes, now begins the swine flu psychosis. And the world news speaks only of this.

Look at what Executive Laboratories Roche says:

We are concerned very much by this epidemic therefore we put to the sale the miraculous Tamiflu.

And for how much do you sell the "miraculous" Tamiflu?

Well, let's see... $50 the box.

What $ 50? What a box of pills?

Understand, Madam... miracles are very expensive.”

Well the email goes on to draw its own conclusions but I am sure you have conclusions enough of your own. I also have to say that the price of Tamiflu I found on the internet was far higher than $50.

What is certain is that the biggest distributor of swine flu is the world media intent on bringing this Panic-demic in to your homes. And who benefits financially? Certainly not me and I doubt if it’s you!

SWINE FLU OR BRITISH FLU?

As I keep a close eye on the British media I have been aware of the hysteria and confusion in the UK over the threat of swine flu. Media hype, political incompetence or public panic? In all truth a mixture of each.

As the swine flu call centre finally opened for business with staff who wouldn’t know a common cold from foot and mouth Britain’s Premier Gordon Brown, who looks as if he is suffering from both, went on TV to assure the nation that it was the first of its type in the world. For all the wrong reasons that is probably true but what the public in the UK haven’t been told is that Swine Flu is now largely a British problem. As Britons ask – is it safe to go abroad? – the answer is - its much safer – to which should be added – please stay at home.

I got a shock yesterday as I prepared an article on swine flu precautions in Spain. Here safe guards are in place but without all the panic that seems to have engulfed the UK. Now I know why.

According to data issued by the EU as of July 22 there were around 18,000 cases of swine flu in the nations that make up the community. I was staggered to learn that over half, 10,649 to be exact, were in the UK. Across the Channel in France there are 628, in Belgium 126, in Holland 21, Italy 258 and Ireland a mere 172.

Germany has the second highest total with 1,818 and Spain is in third place with 1,486 – which is hardly surprising given this country’s close association with Mexico where it all started.

So the main threat to Europe’s health appears to be Britain and of course right now millions of Britons are heading off on holidays to the Continent. They will bring with them swine flu – or as it now should be called – British flu - because a nation that is happy to sneeze all over each other on the train, the bus, at the shops or in the street isn’t going to hold back when faced with Johnny Foreigner.

Trouble is with the economic crisis still biting hard the holiday venues of France, Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal badly need British tourists and sterling. However come the autumn and winter I would argue that we should pull up the draw bridge and put Britain, the sick nation of Europe, in to total isolation.